Sometimes when I am feeling a little overwhelmed I stop what I am doing and make some kind of apothecary product. It is Monday and I am already at that point this week. If I am being honest, it is just carrying over from last week (I have/had pneumonia) and the weekend. I am on the verge of turning in my first draft of my research paper and well, that is just stressful.

So, when I am feeling like why am I even studying herbal medicine….I definitely cannot do this….no way…I am not smart enough…graduate school with two kids, a home, a husband, volunteering, etc is way too much….how will I get everything done….I should NOT register for next semester….I stop, and I make something. It brings me back to why I am doing this. I am doing this because I love to make products and use herbal teas to treat illness. I am doing this because I want that knowledge behind creating things.

Today I whipped up some lip balm! It has been Jackson approved. My children love chapstick and lip balm. Both boys. Alex wouldn’t try it because it was in a tin and not a tube and he is 2 and 2 year olds are detail oriented. “It doesn’t look like lip balm because it is not in a tube, therefore, it is definitely not lip balm and that is a hard pass, I want some cheese.” That is basically how it went down.

Without further adieu, here is the recipe. Also, family/friends, if you would like a tin for the holidays, please let me know!

Peppermint Jojoba Lip Balm

1 Tablespoon beeswax pellets

1 Tablespoon refined shea butter

`1/2 Tablespoon Jojoba oil

6 drops peppermint essential oil

Using a double boiler, heat the beeswax, shea butter, and jojoba oil until melted. I used a whisk to whip them together once the pellets were completely melted. Use can also use an electric mixer if you want. I couldn’t find mine.

Add the peppermint oil, and continue to whisk. If it starts to harden, you can put it back over the boiling water as you whisk it. You may need to use an oven mitt if the metal is hot.

Then pour the mixture into small tins or lip balm tubes.

Still warm, so it is a bit translucent

These are 1oz tins. You can double, triple, etc the recipe to make larger batches. This made almost two full tins. For larger batches, the electric whisk may be a better option. I think the hand whisk worked well with this small batch. Peppermint can be overwhelming as an oil. It is powerful! I erred on the side of caution with it. You can play with the drops, one or two more if you want it stronger, one less if you want even more subtlety.

Winter is coming! It brings with it, dry air, harsh winds, and freezing temps. Those bring with them dry skin!

Lavender is probably my favorite herb, essential oil, scent, and color. I love love love everything about it. I have actually considered it for my next tattoo. Getting a lavender sprig on my right arm. I have been going back and forth on if I want it colored or just black. All of my other tattoos are black and I kind of love that. But I digress. Lavender is the bees knees.

I was inspired by putting lavender and vanilla essential oils into one of my diffusers. I decided I wanted to make a body butter using that lovely fragrance. This recipe was born. It smells rather heavenly. Cocoa butter, almond oil, lavender, and vanilla. It is like a delicious piece of pie all over your body.

Beyond smelling so yummy, it is really very moisturizing. I tested it out on myself. From toes to shoulders. It leaves your skin feeling soft. Your nails even get some hydration. My tattoos even looked refreshed after applying. It is a multi-use butter. You smell and look good.

Cocoa butter is rich in vitamin E, which is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help keep you young! It does have a strong scent that can overpower other scents. I am going to try making a version of this with a fractioned shea butter. Fractioned shea has a more subtle scent to it.

Cocoa butter comes solidified, if you did not know that. I ended up shaving it basically, into the measuring spoon. You have to heat it a bit and melt it down. You can use the double boiler option. Once that is liquified, add to your container. I use amber glass jars. Add the almond oil and essential oils. I emulsified with a tiny whisk. I was very thankful for my son’s passion for helping me cook. He picked out this very little whisk as one of his cooking tools. I borrowed it.

You will have to let it sit for a while before you start to see it solidify. It took mine overnight. Approximately 10-12 hours. I made it around 7pm and this morning around 7am, I noticed it was finally solid again! I applied it generously after my shower.

I included links to the specific items I used for this recipe. However, you can use whichever brand you prefer. I enjoy several brands of butters, oils, and herbs. I hope you get a chance to make this and if you do that you enjoy it as much as I do!

You may not know, but I am back in school. Grad school to be exact. I am pursuing my Masters in Herbal Medicine. This may or may not have been a wise decision on my part at this moment in my life. It is already so hectic and I am 3 weeks in. Today I was feeling sluggish. I couldn’t sleep last night. I am not sure why, and my usual tricks didn’t really work. These nights happen I suppose. I have a very sick 5 year old. We made a trip to the doctor for the FOURTH time in two weeks. Long story short, it is one of those days, you know?

I felt inspired to do something just for me. I wanted to take a break from reading, cleaning, and caring for tiny humans. I was inspired by my third cup of coffee and my herbal med reading. There are not many things you will find me willingly use sugar for. This is the exception!

I whipped up a rather delicious smelling hand/body coffee sugar scrub. The measurements do not have to be precise. You can play with it a little. I ended up adding an additional scoop of sugar.

Coffee sugar scrub

Vanilla Sugar Coffee Scrub

1/2 cup coffee grounds

1 cup sugar + 1 extra scoop

1/4 c fractioned coconut oil. If you do not have fractioned, you will have to warm your coconut oil to help liquify it

1tsp, approx, vanilla extract

2 drops cinnamon leaf essential oil (be mindful that cinnamon essential oil is a very powerful aromatic, so less is more)

Combine all in a bowl and mix well. If you feel it is too liquidy then you can add more sugar or coffee grounds. Play with the texture until you get what you will find enjoyable. Store in an airtight jar or container. I chose my mason jar because 1. I LOVE mason jars and 2. I have a bunch laying around.